Unravelling Nigeria

The universe truly works in mysterious ways. We have been following Unravelling Nigeria for weeks and finally decided to contact them for an interview. It so happened that the founder was in London for a holiday and we luckily got to meet her and asked her a few questions.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and Unravelling Nigeria

I am Lola of Unravelling Nigeria and that’s all I’m saying about that. LOL.

However, the star of the show; ‘Unravelling Nigeria’ is basically your go to site for everything tourism related in Nigeria. We unravel tourist sites in Nigeria and show its potential to the world and even Nigerians themselves in a fun way. It started out of curiosity and shock really if that’s the word to use. My brother made us tourists for a day when we were on vacation and we saw tons of people excited about the places we were visiting. I realised Nigeria had these things and more but no one was telling them about it. With a little push from friends and family, Unravelling Nigeria was born.

We review places, write about them, show pictures and just give general details on what visitors can expect. We’ve also started organizing tours to some of these places and hopefully more of them continue to happen. Consultation is also a part what the site is about. Sometimes people reach out asking where they can do this or that and we are happy to help them sort it out. In 10 years God willing, Unravelling Nigeria will be the Google of African tourism with an army of unravellers. Nigeria will however, always remain the focal point for us. We will bring people in for tourism purposes, consult on tourism boards in different states and just all round promote the awesomeness that is Nigeria. The great thing is this also does a lot for Africa as a continent; after all we are the giants of Africa.

How do you travel around the country to find these sights/things to do?

So far it’s been by road or air. We’re hoping to try rail and sea too; especially as the railways are being revived in the country. Travelling by air is quicker and more comfortable but it is not Unravelling Nigeria’s favourite as you miss out on the sights along the way.

Which is your favourite city and why?

So this is a strange answer but we’re going to choose a city we haven’t unravelled yet which is Calabar. Why? My question is why not? We’ve have heard fantastic things about it and simply can’t wait to explore it. Experiencing the Calabar festival which is oh so colourful is a must; from the boat regattas to the cultural dancers, it’s pretty much our version of the Notting Hill Carnival in London, UK. Calabar also has a lot of history and culture. The slave port where slaves were taken from, the colonial palace where the Liberian warlord lived in, Mary Slessor’s building and the Tinapa Resort are just a few of the attractions that Calabar has to offer.

If you insist on a place that has been unravelled, it would have to be Osun State. The sleepy towns of Osun, its waterfall and other sights were a breath of fresh air. The scenery is amazing, the people there are wonderful and they have one too many places to visit which isn’t a bad thing. We really enjoyed the trip there. Shame it was a short one but we’ll be going back there soon to explore it properly.

What three sights/things to do would you recommend to a first time visitor?

This is a tough one because you’re asking us to choose from a million things. Off the top of my head 3 sights to see would be 1) Erin Ijesha Waterfalls in Osun state, 2) Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State and 3) Ikogosi Warm Springs in Ekiti State. Three things to do are try the local food, check out the beaches and the local markets.

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Lyande Kaikai is a Sierra Leonean born entrepreneur and the founder of My African Passport (MAP). Her passion for Africa has led her to become a leading expert in travel and tourism for the continent by promoting its countries as amazing holiday destinations.